“…knowing that you cannot be redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from the aimless conduct handed down from your ancestors” (1 Peter 1:18).
Deciding to move forward requires more than just getting busy. Our actions must be motivated by love for God, and they must be within the bounds of His will and His purposes. Having been delivered from the “aimless conduct” in which we used to engage, we must now devote ourselves to actions that are purposeful and fruitful in relation to God.
A distinctive feature of the Christian life is that it is going somewhere that really matters. If God did not exist then whatever would happen would have no meaning. From birth to death, our lives will be nothing more than the “busyness” of spinning our wheels. But God exists, and that means history is not just history – it is His story. The plot is moving toward a climax that will lead to His eternal glory, and if we allow ourselves to be reconciled to Him through His Son, every action we take can help move the plot toward its great ending.
We need to live, work, and serve with the confidence that what we do in the Lord is eternally meaningful, whether we can see it now or not. Paul wrote, “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, steadfast, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Cor. 15:58). Your labor in the Lord is not in vain. What wonderful, life-changing words! What a difference they must make to us in those days when we cannot see that there is any benefit in trying to do what is right.
But we need to take time to take stock of the way we live our lives. If we have become Christians, we have the opportunity to be busy with the most important things in the world – but really, are those things what we are busy with most of the time? Is our day-to-day activity harmoniously connected to our principles? Are we keeping our word? Is it really God we are reaching out to, or should we accept that we are busy with small things? These questions are not just important; They should also be urgent. If we are not engaged in the Father’s work, our conduct is going nowhere – it is aimless.
“It is not enough to be busy; there are enough ants too. The question is, what are we busy with?” (Henry David Thoreau).
Gary Henry – WordPoints.com AreYouaChristian.com
